Recommended Course Sequence First and Second Years
The business administration major at W&L is deeply integrated into its liberal arts setting, equipping students with the critical and creative thinking skills and adaptability essential for future business environments. Many upper-level liberal arts courses serve as elective credits within the Business Administration major. We encourage prospective business administration majors to fully engage in liberal arts courses upon enrollment and continue to take these courses throughout their time at W&L.
Please note that students need 120 credits to graduate. A good rule of thumb is to have at least 30 additional credits completed by the end of each academic year. Depending on the number of credits accepted for AP courses, etc., you may need to take five classes some terms and/or look for 4cr Spring term classes.
Class of 2027
For those students in the Class of 2027 who plan to declare the Business Administration major in the Winter term of their sophomore year, we recommend that you complete the following courses before the end of your sophomore year:
• ECON 100: Introduction to Economics
• ACCT 100: Introduction to Accounting
• BUS 202: Fundamentals of Business Analytics
• FIN 221: Managerial Finance
Other Course Planning Considerations
• We strongly encourage you to complete your lab science requirement by the end of your sophomore year.
• If possible and if space permits, try to register for BUS 217: Management and Organizational Behavior during your sophomore year.
• Also consider the list of non-business classes that are accepted towards the major. Many of these may overlap with other majors or minors you are considering. You may also simply take courses that are of interest to you.
Class of 2028
Starting with the Class of 2028, the business administration major will have a new set of requirements. This updated major aims to equip students with the skills to think critically, act ethically, collaborate effectively in teams, communicate proficiently, and excel in a dynamic business environment. We do this in business courses as well as with a strong integration with liberal arts courses.
Business major declarations are typically done in January of the sophomore year. We recommend that you complete the following courses by the end of sophomore year:
• ECON 100: Introduction to Economics
• ACCT 100: Introduction to Accounting
• BUS 202: Fundamentals of Business Analytics
• BUS 217: Management and Organizational Behavior
• BUS 220: Foundations of Business Communication
• FIN 221: Managerial Finance
We also strongly encourage you to complete your lab science requirement by the end of your sophomore year.
A possible FY schedule of courses for students interested in the Business Administration major might look like this. This is just an example and is obviously subject to availability and the needs of the individual student to graduate.
First Year
| Fall | Winter | Spring |
| WRIT 100 | ACCT 100 | Spring Term course of interest |
| Foreign Language | Foreign Language | |
| ECON 100 | FDR or elective course | |
| BUS 202 or BUS 220 | FDR Lab Science |
Second Year
| Fall | Winter | Spring |
| FDR | FDR or elective course | Spring Term course of interest |
| Foreign Language | FDR | |
| FIN 221 | FDR | |
| BUS 202 or BUS 220 | BUS 217 |